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| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
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SOUTHWEST NOVA |
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| General Description |
Southwest Nova represents the natural region of southwestern Nova Scotia. This encompasses the five counties: Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth, Digby and Annapolis. The biosphere reserve comprises major landscapes of the province, which exist in a near-pristine condition with intact ecosystem structure, processes and functions. Located in the boreal needleleaf forest biogeographical region, it includes rolling plains, river plains, glacial plains, hills, drumlins and coastal cliffs. As a result of its unique southerly position in the Maritimes, the region contains significant disjunctive populations of Atlantic coastal Plain plant species, Blandings turtle (Emydoidea blandingi), ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus) and southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans). Cultural heritage resources in the area depict the history of Mi’kmaq use of the lands and waters of the area for travel, sustenance, medicine and trade. Several significant archaeological sites are preserved throughout the region. About 99,500 people live mostly in the transition zone of the biosphere reserve (Statistics Canada 2001 census). The traditional economic uses of the region include forestry, mixed agriculture, near-shore coastal fisheries, professional backcountry guiding for recreational angling and hunting, as well as mineral prospecting and mining. The biosphere reserve will promote and encourage experimentation with traditional and contemporary resource management and will identify opportunities for their enhancement. |
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| Major ecosystem type | Boreal needleleaf forests or woodlands | |||
| Major habitats & land cover types | Natural Landscapes described as follows: rolling plain characterized by red spruce-white pine-eastern hemlock (red oak) and black spruce-larch; Shelburne River Plain dominated by semi-barren terrain and black spruce-white pine; Roseway River Glacial Plain characterized by red/black spruce-white pine-eastern hemlock; Lake Rossignol Hills with sugar maple-yellow birch-American beech and spruce-hemlock-white pine; LaHave Drumlins characterized by sugar maple-yellow birch-beech and red spruce-eastern hemlock-white pine; Sable River Basin Natural Landscape dominated by black/red spruce-white pine-eastern hemlock-balsam fir and black spruce-larch; North Ridge including red spruce-yellow birch-balsam fir; Annapolis Valley characterized by red spruce-eastern hemlock-red pine; St. Marys Coastal Cliffs dominated by white spruce-black spruce-balsam fir; Sissiboo Low Hills including mixed hardwoods and red spruce-eastern hemlock; Tusket River Drumlins with red spruce-white pine-eastern hemlock and mixed hardwoods; Tusket Islands characterized by white spruce-balsam fir; Shelburne Headlands (coastal environment composed of long bays, beaches, and spits) including white spruce-balsam fir; agroecosystems (small scale mixed agriculture); forestry systems; blueberry fields | |||
| Location | 44°13'N; 65°50'W | |||
| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 1,546,374 | |||
| Core area(s) | 141,900 | |||
| Buffer zone(s) | 27,474 | |||
| Transition area(s) when given | 1,377,000 | |||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | 0 to +190 | |||
| Year designated | 2001 | |||
| Administrative authorities | Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve Association (SNBRA) | |||
| Last updated: 2/26/2007 |
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